HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville commander laid out a detailed relocation plan for employees during a town hall June 1.
Col. Sebastien P. Joly spoke to more than 550 employees, who attended the town hall either virtually or in-person, about the Center’s move from its current building at 425 Quality Circle to its new location on Redstone Arsenal.
Construction on the purpose-built, 205,000 square foot building is on schedule and expected to be completed by January 2024, he said.
“Construction is on schedule,” Joly said. “They are currently drywalling, putting up interior offices, installing elevators. There is absolutely clear progress.”
The Center’s current lease ends in December, and movers will need to begin removing furniture, electronics and other office supplies out of the building in October. During the transition between October and January 2024, the workforce will go into a command-wide telework period with some beginning to telework in August.
“Fortunately, we’ve been here before,” said Joly, referring to the Center’s last move from University Place in Huntsville, Alabama, to the building at Quality Circle. “We’re taking advantage of all the lessons learned in vacating our last facility and making the necessary adjustments. We’re hoping for much fewer impacts this time around.”
The commander also highlighted the benefits of the move, citing improved security, network access and internet speeds, functional meeting spaces and modernized fitness and dining facilities.
“Our job is to deliver high quality projects on time, within budget, and safely, and we need the right tools, resources and facilities to make that happen,” said Joly. “That has been our primary consideration throughout the design of this new building.”
The new building will also be able to consolidate all of the Center’s off-post leases and Huntsville employees for the first time since the 1970s, said Joly.
“We currently have 11 different leases to accommodate everything that falls under HNC,” he said. “This facility will hold all of us so we can be under one roof.”
Most importantly, Joly said, the move will position Huntsville Center on Redstone Arsenal for the first time since
“This relocation will provide us the opportunity to capitalize on shared resources and develop relationships with other organizations on the Arsenal,” he said. “We are looking forward to becoming a full member of Team Redstone.”
Huntsville Center leadership is planning another town hall in the fall to provide relocation updates to the workforce. In the meantime, employees can find more information on the relocation SharePoint page.